Community Almanac

The 128th August Doin’s Parade will take place Saturday, Aug. 18, beginning at 9 a.m. on Historic Main Street.

The theme for the parade will be “Celebrating Arizona's Centennial.” The Kiwanis of Zane Grey Country and the Rim Country Regional Chamber of Commerce are producing this year’s parade. Grand Marshal will be Marshall Trimble.

The parade includes floats, marching groups, equestrian groups, bands and all kinds of other marchers. As a special category,

the producers are inviting all veterans of any service at any time to march in the parade. There will be an award for winners in each of eight categories.

The Chamber and Kiwanis Club are seeking the following for the parade: entrants, both experienced and new; sponsors for floats; event sponsors; and volunteers to help with the parade. For more information, please call the Chamber at (928) 474-4515.

The guest speaker will be the facility’s current director, Amy Plunkett. All attendees are encouraged to bring an unwrapped baby gift and come to enjoy a morning of learning and sharing. Light refreshments will be available. For more information, call (928) 472-6146.

The gymnasium is located just south of the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino, 1/2 mile south of Payson on Highway 87. For additional information, visit www.firingpin.com or call (928) 485-0437.

Centennial event in Young

In celebration of Arizona’s Centennial, Young Public Library is sponsoring a day of festivities, “100 Years of Homesteading in Pleasant Valley” starting at 10 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 11 and continuing throughout the day.

Activities for the entire family feature both indoor and outdoor spectator participation. For additional information, call the library at (928) 462-3588.

Time Out Thrift Shop sale

Shop and save at the Rodeo Roundup and Gift Sale at the Time Out Thrift Store, 500 S. Beeline Highway, Payson (just north of Alfonso’s and across the Beeline from Wendy’s). The sale continues through Rodeo weekend. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. Beginning Sept. 3, the thrift store will be closed on Mondays.

Time Out is in need of volunteers to help in the thrift store. Choose a four-hour shift that fits your schedule. If you would like to meet new friends, have fun while helping others at the same time, call Charlotte at (928) 474-3989 or Cindy at (928) 472-8007.

Sales from the shop support Time Out, Inc., its shelter, transitional housing and other domestic violence programs in Gila County. The shelter hotline is (928) 472-8007.

Along with great produce, artisan foods and local artists, the market will feature its 3rd Annual Tractor Show. Bring the kids to check out the tractors, ride the ponies and enjoy great samples and great community. You’ll also have an opportunity to win passes to Wet N Wild.

Payson Farmers Market is at 816 S. Beeline Highway behind Chili’s.

Photo by Dennis Fendler

Quilt Auction coming Aug. 11 to Pine Cultural Hall

Quilt Auction coming Aug. 11 to Pine Cultural Hall

On Saturday, Aug. 11, the Friends of the Strawberry Patchers are presenting the Fourth Annual Quilt Auction in the Pine Cultural Hall, in the center of Pine on the west side of Highway 87. Doors open at 11 a.m. for registration and preview. The auction will start at 1 p.m. Admission is free. Bring a non-perishable food item and get entered into the drawing for a quilt to be held after the auction.

For those with quilts to put in the auction, forms are available online.

The Strawberry Patchers’ opportunity quilt tickets will be available along with “buy it now” and “make me an offer” quilts. Additional information is available on the Web site, www.strawberrypatchers.com or call Elaine at (928) 978-3464.

Mountain Daze Festival

The Pine Strawberry Business Community will present the second annual Mountain Daze Festival Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 11 and 12.

Held at the Pine Community Center, the event will be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday.

This free event is family friendly with activities for children, a selection of different foods from vendors, entertainment and a display of antique cars. Additionally, vendors and artisans will be selling a great diversity of wares.

The event this year will be in conjunction with the Quilt Auction in the Cultural Hall.

Find out more by calling (928) 476-3655 or go online to http://psbcaz.com.

Elks plan fashion show, lunch

The Payson Elks will have its “Like New Fashion Show” and lunch at 11 a.m., Saturday, Aug. 11 at the lodge, 1206 N. Beeline Highway.

Tickets, purchased in advance are $10; purchased at the door, the cost is $15. Tickets are available at the Payson Elks Lodge or contact Mary Smith, (928) 468-8766.

Lunch will be a choice of taco salad or chicken salad.

Some of the clothes in the show will also be auctioned and others will be available to purchase.

Cowboy Dinner

There will be a family-friendly Cowboy Dinner to kick off Rodeo Week at Rumsey Park from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 11.

The Cowboy Dinner will be at Ramada 5, 400 N. McLane Road. On the menu will be barbecued beef and pork, pasta salad, cowboy beans, desserts and soda.

There will be fun for the whole family with an antique tractor display, live music, a storyteller, special activities for children and door and raffle prizes.

Tickets will be available at the event or can be purchased ahead of time at the Chamber of Commerce at the corner of Beeline and Main. The cost is $10 for adults; $7 for children ages 4 to 12; with those under 3 admitted for free. A family package, for two adults and two children, is available for $30.

The women’s group of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is hosting the event as a fund-raiser to benefit local charities. For more information, contact Nancy at (928) 474-2336.

Rocky Mountain Oyster Gathering next Saturday

Come to Jake’s Corner for the second annual Rocky Mountain Oyster Gathering from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 11 to kick off Rodeo Week. The event is at Jake’s Corner Bar, south of Payson on Highway 188, and will feature Rocky Mountain Oysters; live music by Junction 87; raffles and a 50/50 drawing and the Payson Pro-Rodeo Committee will offer rodeo discounts.

Community Garden open house

The Payson Community Garden, 300 E. Tyler Parkway, will have an open house from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 11.

Tours of the site will be offered along with information on how to be part of this exciting project.

Pancrazi performs

Downbeat Magazine recognized jazz guitarist Pete Pancrazi as the “one to watch,” and audiences around Arizona voted him “Jazz Guitar Player of the Year.” He will perform popular jazz standards from the last five decades at 2 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 12 at Payson Community Presbyterian Church, 800 W. Main St. Upright string bass player John Sims will join him.

For information or to RSVP, contact Gerry-Reynolds@hotmail.com, or at (602) 619-3355.

A suggested $5 donation includes refreshments.

Missoula Children’s Theatre

The famed Missoula Children’s Theatre Company is coming to Payson the week of Aug. 13.

Longhorn Theatre has confirmed with the MCT directors that 50 to 60 area youngsters in the first through 12th grades will be cast on Monday, Aug. 13 in MCT’s version of “Betty Lou and the Country Beast.”

Children do not need to prepare an audition piece. The directors will take them through readings, movement and songs.

The cast list will be announced after auditions are completed and participants will go home with scripts and rehearsal calendars.

Performances will take place at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 17 and Saturday, Aug. 18 in the high school auditorium.

Community support is still needed to bring this exciting theater company to Payson. Sponsorships are available in any amount from $10 to $500 and over.

Questions should be directed to Longhorn Theatre Director Kathy Siler at Kathy.siler@pusd.com.

School board meeting

The governing board of the Payson Unified School District meets at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 13 at the district office, 902 W. Main St., Payson.

Because of the business meeting’s format, the public is welcome to attend but may only participate during the constituent comment period at the beginning of the meeting.

The consent agenda will pass as published unless a board member requests to pull a particular item for future discussion.

Superintendent Ron Hitchcock will discuss board goals, donations and contracts for approval of the board. He will also share the highlights from his weekly reports to the board.

Dr. Barbara Fitzgerald, director of special services and Payson Virtual Academy, will explain the deeper meaning to the Arizona Department of Education’s letter grades for schools.

The board will review and suggest future items for the agenda.

To sign up for e-mail copies of the upcoming agenda, please e-mail Caron Hatch at caron.hatch@pusd.com.

Payson Choral Society auditions scheduled

The Payson Choral Society is looking for new members. Any interested area residents are invited to try out at 5:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 13 at the United Methodist Church, 414 N. Easy St.

The holiday concert will be Saturday, Dec. 15. Rehearsals for the performance begin that same evening at 6:30 p.m., Monday, Aug. 13 at the same location.

If you like to sing, want to have fun with a great group of people, and you are willing to commit to weekly rehearsals come be a part of the Payson Choral Society.

For further information, call John Landino at (928) 468-6684.

Learn about AWANA

There will be an introduction to the AWANA program at 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 13 at the First Baptist Church in Pine. There will be food, games for kids and a chance for parents to learn about the program and register their children for it.

The program begins Monday, Aug. 22 at the First Baptist Church in Pine with the kindergarten through second-grade group, Sparks, meeting from 2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the balance of the groups meeting from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The other groups are: TNT for those in the third through sixth grade; Trek for junior high students; and Journey for those in high school.

Scrub sale

Apparel Pro Health Care Wear will be having a Scrub Sale in the Payson Regional Medical Center West Lobby from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., Thursday, Aug. 16. The sale includes new lab coats, scrubs, warm-ups, stethoscopes, shoes, accessories and much more. All monies raised will help to fund the many programs and scholarships available to our community through the Mogollon Health Alliance. For more information, call (928) 472-2588.

Rodeo Days sale

The Women’s Ministries of Payson Assembly of God invite everyone to visit their annual Rodeo Days Sale from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday, Aug. 17 and Saturday, Aug. 18 on the sidewalk in front of Safeway. There will be baked goods, crafts, quilts, and baby items. All proceeds will go to missions and charities.

ASU scrimmage time moved forward one hour

In order to better serve Arizona State University Sun Devil fans in the Rim Country planning to attend the scrimmage at Camp Tontozona on Saturday, Aug. 18, the time is now from 10 a.m. to noon.

This is an hour later than previously scheduled. Organizers still plan to be onsite by 6:30 a.m. to begin setting up to ensure everything is prepared for any early arriving fans.

‘Champagne in the Garden’ to benefit Animal Welfare Fund

This year’s Champagne in the Garden will benefit the Animal Welfare Fund, a non-profit organization that provides humane shelter to animals in need after disasters, and strives to eliminate cruelty to all animals.

It will be held in the Freegard Garden in Star Valley from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 18.

The tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased from Judi (517-1034) or at the MissFitz’s 260 Cafe on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, or at the Animal Welfare Thrift Shop, 434 S. Highway 87, behind the Time Out Thrift Shop.

There will be great food, drinks, champagne and lots of fun and laughter. Special items will be offered for sale in the gazebo.

Order of the Eastern Star benefit supper planned

Ponderosa Chapter No. 64 Order of the Eastern Star benefit, Help us Help Others, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 18 at 200 E. Rancho Road, Payson.

A donation is requested — give what you can. It will help members of the OES support college scholarships for deserving children, hearing, diabetes, cancer and other Masonic charities.

For more information, call Louise Snow, WM, at (928) 978-0343.

Community Yard Sale

The Payson Community Presbyterian Church will present one of its Community Yard Sales from 7 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Sept. 8.

This is a great one-stop shopping experience featuring numerous vendors.

The Community Yard Sale is an outreach of the church giving a great venue for local families to make a few dollars at a very low cost.

For just $10, participants can rent a 10-foot-by-19-foot space.

The church will be open for restrooms and drinking fountain.

All proceeds from this event go to CPC’s Deacons Assistance Program that serves families in need in the Rim Country with financial assistance for utilities, rent, prescriptions, and our food pantry. CPC works closely with St. Vincent de Paul to offer citizens help when needed six days a week.

The Yard Sale will be at 800 W. Main St. (corner of Oak and Main). Reserve a space by calling the office at (928) 474-2059.

Canned Tomatoes

Preservation programs

Participants and the public can learn to preserve fruits, vegetables and meat at the Community Garden Food Preserving Classes planned for Wednesday, Aug. 22 and Aug. 29 at the Church of the Nazarene, 200 E. Tyler Parkway, Payson. A class will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 7:05 p.m. and again from 7:15 p.m. to 7:50 p.m.

Offered for free, the classes will include information on freezing fruits and vegetables, pressure canning meats and vegetables, water bath and dehydration.